Colorful rally held in Aqaba to celebrate Bangla New Year

Thursday, the Embassy of Bangladesh in Jordan organized a rally for the first time in the Jordanian port city of Aqaba on the occasion of Bengali New Year 1429. This is the first time such an event has been organized in Jordan. Led by the Ambassador of Bangladesh to Jordan Nahida Sobhan, a large number of embassy officials and staff, expatriate Bangladeshis and workers working in Aqaba marched through the roads of Aqaba Special Economic Zone with prior permission from ASEZA. All the Bangladeshi men and women participating in the procession, dressed in colorful national costumes. Along with others, about a hundred garment workers welcomed the Bengali New Year by holding banners and lovely placards. The parade brought vibrancy to Bangladeshi expatriates and workers in Jordan. They applauded the embassy's efforts to highlight the Bangladeshi tradition and culture in Jordan.

At the end of the rally, Bangladesh Ambassador said in her brief speech that the celebration of Bengali New Year is one of the aspects of ancient Bengali tradition. Over the decades, the rally named as “Mangal Shovajatra” in Bengali, has become the bearer of Bngladeshi culture which also upholds the culture of all nations. She also thanked the Jordan government for their support to hold such cultural activities.

It is to be noted that this “Mangal Shovajatra” is a mass procession that takes place on the first day of the Bengali New Year. The festival is considered as an expression of the secular identity of the Bangladeshi people and as a way to promote unity. It was declared an intangible cultural heritage by UNESCO in 2016. Every year, thousands of people take part in the procession that features gigantic replicas of birds, fish, animals, folk tales and other motifs, symbolizing the unity of the country irrespective of class, age, religious faith, or gender.